continue planning for
teen-community center
Manalapan officials OK with
plan to raze Dreyer house
Private committee will
continue planning for
teen-community center
By dave benjamin
Staff Writer
MANALAPAN — The Township Committee has given its approval to a plan to demolish the landmark Dreyer house at the Manalapan Recreation Center, Route 522, so that a group of volunteers can move forward with plans to build a combination teen-community center in its place.
A second vote taken by the committee at its Jan. 22 meeting would allow a portion of the new facility to be used for municipal office space.
The private Manalapan Community Center Committee which is carrying out the planning process for the proposed community center made the recommendation that the Dreyer house be razed to make way for a new building.
Research established that other than being an old home in the community, the Dreyer house did not hold any historical value, said Arlene White, chairwoman of the community center committee.
The committee has said it will try to keep whatever it can from the Dreyer house and incorporate it into the community center.
The township came into ownership of the Dreyer house more than a decade ago when the recreation center was developed on the former Dreyer farm at Route 522 and Taylors Mills Road, across from the municipal building.
The idea of building a community center within the recreation complex has been discussed by Manalapan officials on and off since then.
At previous times, consideration had been given to renovating the Dreyer home and turning it into a community center.
That idea is now said to be cost-prohibitive.
"Tonight we come to you to vote on this matter, whether (the Dreyer house) has to be demolished or it has to be kept. (Unless a decision is made) the committee is basically at a standstill and we can’t go forward on this until we know," White told members of the governing body.
Township Committeewoman Mary Cozzolino said she visited the Dreyer house to examine the structure before voting on the recommendation to demolish it.
She said she agreed with the decision reached by members of the community center committee.
Cozzolino said there may be things in the house that are salvageable, but the house itself looks like it is too far gone.
She said it was sad that the community allowed it to get to that point, but noted that the house would not be able to serve any useful function the way it is.
Township Committeewoman Beth Ward agreed with the recommendation as well.
Deputy Mayor Rebecca Aaronson said, "I don’t think anyone wanted it to happen this way, but we don’t have much choice."
Aaronson referred to a letter written by Dreyer family member Linda Dreyer which appeared in the News Transcript asking if anything that could be salvaged, would be salvaged. The deputy mayor said every effort would be made to do that, even if it were just bricks.
"Just to go on the record," said Aaronson. "I would like it to be called the Dreyer Community Center. It may not meet the (historic home) criteria of the county or state, but it is symbolic."
Community center committee member Henry Rose said it is the intent of the panel to have the new structure resemble the old home.
There was some discussion about including municipal office space in the community center.
Cozzolino asked if the cost of building office space would be an additional burden on fund-raising efforts to help pay for the building.
White said it’s the foundation of the building that is costly and not a second floor.
Committeeman William Scherer said he did not think office space should be provided in the new building. He said all of the money should be geared to the teen center functions.
Mayor Drew Shapiro expressed support for including office space in the new building.
Noting the effort being undertaken by the private community center committee, he said, "I’m sure we will be able to work together in a public-private partnership."
He noted there are grants that are being offered, particularly private grants, that could help to fund the plan.
No estimate was given as to how much the community center may cost to build.
In a poll of the committee, the members of the governing body voted 5-0 to replace the Dreyer house with a new teen-community center. Committee members voted 4-1 to use a portion of the new building for office space. Scherer voted against that proposal.
Shapiro said volunteers are needed to assist the community center committee with all aspects of the work that is ahead. Volunteers can call the municipal building at (732) 446-3200 for more information.